The Legacy of Winter
by Anthonius Runeblaze
Summary: A first attempt at fanfiction in the SatAM Sonic universe (not following its plot, of course), where a Human is teleported to Mobius. Old, cliché plot, is it not? Well, everyone has to start somewhere, might as well be here.
1. The Legacy of Winter; Part I: The Prelud...

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=The Legacy of Winter=  
PART I: The Prelude  
  
-By Anthony Young AKA "Anthonius"  
(ajyoung@roadrunner.nf.net)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
  
This is my very first attempt at a Sonic fan fiction,  
so expect it not to be of the best quality. All characters  
are copyright of Sega and DIC respectively. This fan fic  
has been formatted to fit most screen resolutions. This  
includes 640X480 and up. Nothing below. If you are running  
something below that, then get a new Operating System.  
Thank you.  
  
Also, Daniel Winters is NOT me. He is the only  
character whom is COPYRIGHT of me. There. You can now  
commence reading my 'fic... If you really want to, that is...  
  
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----------------------START================================================================================================================== END: PART I - The Prelude. ==================================================================================================================Special thanks to:  
------------------  
-Ryan Power AKA Veros the Dark Mage for coming up with 'Ferrari's  
first name  
-Adam Brown AKA Anthony Prowler for being the nice person he is by  
picking out spelling errors and bugging me about them until I fixed  
them... also for being somewhat of a proofreader and editor  
-My good ol' 486 33mhz SX which I am on at this moment  
-My Celeron 533 which I have done the majority of this work on  
-Notepad which is what this fic was made with, 100% notepad!  
-Myself because I felt like pushing myself over the edge of insanity  
one day by making this  
-Riverdale Cola for quenching thirst so well  
-The creator of Pizza because pizza tastes good  
-The creator of cola products because cola is the best drink on Earth  
-The creator of the Personal Computer because without him, this wouldn't  
be here right now  
-The creator of the wonderful, bug-free OS, Windows! no reason  
-Anyone who read this because they took the time to read this garbage  
-That is all  
-No, really, that's it  
-Don't believe me?  
-Well...  
-There IS more, but no more people I'd like to thank...  
  
--  
--  
--Start Date: Unknown. Probably some time around Christmas 2000.  
Abandoned. Picked up again on June 11th, 2001  
  
--Completion Date: July 24th, 12:28 AM Newfoundland Standard Time.  
  
--This story was inspired by the near evilly absurd amount of snow us  
Newfoundlanders got this year. I am planning on making this a series,  
too. Heh. Yeah. My own series... oh well, this series is most likely  
not gonna be the best, but I'll probably think of something else. Why  
am I bothering to do this? Nobody's reading this stuff anyways...  
Argh... I'm talking to myself again! Hmm... Oh well...   
  
--  
  
Oh yeah, if you're wondering why the weather readings from Nicole  
were inaccurate, here's your reason (I didn't find an occasion to put  
this in):  
  
Robotnik reprogrammed the weather sattelite so that it would fire an  
electromagnetic beam, causing an atmospheric disturbance. He then proceeded  
to seed the clouds with a substance which caused precipitation and also  
freezes at temperatures below zero. When he did this, he had not realized  
is that when he set the program up to loop the patterns, it didn't loop  
the patterns; it looped the weather forecast instead. That's why the snow  
stopped and the weather was reported incorrectly. There's your answer.   
  
Thank you for reading my fic! If you enjoyed it, then hooray! I did  
something right! If not, then I'll try to make it better... and hop  
into an imaginary F-14 and blow up [insert random building here] and  
bombard you with "..."... 


	2. The Legacy of Winter; Part II: The Next ...

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=The Legacy of Winter=  
PART II: The Next Level  
  
-By Anthony Young AKA "Anthonius"  
(ajyoung@roadrunner.nf.net)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
PG-13  
  
Okay, here I go again, with a brand new fic! I'm sure that  
if you hated my first one, this one is BOUND to be just as  
bad, so... if that be the case, cease reading this junk and  
read something by Dan Drazen or something... I'll never be  
as big as any of them, but then again, I can try, can't I?  
Ah well. As always, this has been formatted to fit ANY  
screen resolution including 640x480. Every character is ©  
Copyright of their respective owner(s). So let's get to it  
then!  
  
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It was a mere few days since Daniel's arrival on Mobius,  
and since the 'Frei from Hell' had dissipated. Every  
Mobian wanted to thank him for his efforts, but he had  
stayed isolated from them, staying in his hut for as long  
as he possibly could, coming out only when necessary.  
Sally decided to have a talk with him.  
  
"Now... if I can just get this connected here..." Daniel  
said, his eyes fixed on an old computer liberated from  
one of Robotnik's facilities. It was in pretty bad shape,  
but Daniel decided to go at it anyway. He was carefully  
placing the processor into its slot when there was a knock  
at his door. He was startled by this, and he dropped the  
processor. "Aah! NO!" he said, watching it fall  
and smash on the floor. He got up and went to the door.  
"This had better be important..." he mumbled as he turned  
the knob and pulled the door open.  
"Hello..." said Sally, detecting that Daniel was upset.  
"Hi" Daniel said, agitated.  
"What are you doing? You seem to be pretty caught up in  
it..." she said.  
"I WAS working on that old computer, but I dropped the  
processor... as you can see... now I can't finish it..."  
"Well... that's not entirely important right now. Anyway,  
I was wondering, since we were going to have a party  
tonight, welcoming you into our group-"  
"I don't want you to go through that much trouble just  
for me," he interrupted.  
"Well, it's already planned, so you're going to HAVE to  
come!"  
"There's nothing you can do to make me go..."  
"Don't tell me you're afraid to go to a little get  
together..."  
"Well, uhm, you see... erm... yes... I am... I am afraid.  
I have to admit it... I hate having attention"  
"HA! You can't tell me that you weren't afraid of Robotnik,  
but you're afraid of US?"  
"Yes..." he said, looking down. "I guess it's just that  
I'm used to dealing with people, not with... with..."  
"Okay, I can understand that, but what YOU have to  
understand, is that we're JUST LIKE YOU! We're no different.  
Even in appearance, you're the same as us. Maybe that's not  
what you're used to, but we are NO DIFFERENT." Sally lectured.  
"Well... maybe it's just a mental thing..."  
"I hope so... if you can't socialize with anyone in your  
OWN PARTY, then I don't think you'll ever be able to."  
"I guess I'll be there..."  
"And try to be out more... there are a lot of people  
who'd at least like to shake your hand for your help the  
other day..."  
"Okay..."  
"So it's settled? You'll at least TRY to be more socially  
active?"  
"Yes! Yes, already!"  
"Good. I'll see you tonight, then, at 19:30 in the center of  
Knothole." Sally said, departing from the hut.  
"Yeah, see ya..." he said, waving. He closed the door and  
retreated back inside his hut. "What have I gotten myself  
into?" he said. He remembered back in his elementary school  
days, how he used to try to do things right and fit in, only  
to be laughed at and rejected. He wondered if anything would  
be different this time. "Probably not," he said to himself.  
"but now that I'm stuck with this mess, I may as well try  
anyway.... maybe things WILL be different."  
  
Later that night, everything was set up in the way that it  
normally was... just a normal get together, just like all the  
other ones for the new recruits. It was 19:15 in Mobian  
Standard 24 hour time units. Half the population (which wasn't  
much) was already there. Daniel, however, was not. He was still  
in his hut, ponderingas to whether or not he should go. He was  
pacing back and forth, wondering if he would ever grow up.  
He told himself that he needed to forget about what happened  
so many years ago, and that he needed to start anew. He  
checked the clock on the wall. 19:25. He got up his courage  
and left. He walked into the center of Knothole, which was  
where he had been told to go. It looked like a group of  
people, roughly the same size as an ordinary class of students,  
had accumulated there, most likely for the party. He started  
walking towards them. One of them turned around and looked  
at him.  
"Hey! There he is! That's the one who thinks he's better than  
us!" The one who had turned around shouted.  
"Huh? What?" Daniel said, confused.  
"Hey! You sure that you want to come out here? We might bite!"  
"Yeah! You wouldn't want that, now, would you, Mr. Decadent?"  
"Let's get him!" The crowd became rowdy and started towards him.  
"What's going on?" Daniel said, confused even more.  
"GET HIM!!!" The crowd began to charge at him.  
"Whaa... AAH!!" He shouted, running away. He madly looked around,  
looking for shelter, finding only his hut. Instinctively, he ran  
for it. Once he got inside, he barred the door, and started to pant.  
"Well, well... what kind of social outcast do we have here?"  
Sally's voice called from the shadows.  
"What?... Sally?!" Daniel said.  
"Yeah, surprised you know my name, considering you're nothing to  
me but the dirt beneath my feet. Oh, look... here's my friends  
now... I think they want to play..." Sally said, in an evil tone.  
The mob started to bang on the door. Daniel quickly looked around  
for some place to run, finding nothing. "Don't worry... they'll make  
it quick and painless for you..." Sally said. The banging ensued.  
Then, everything turned black. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Only  
the sound of a fist beating on the door. Daniel opened his eyes, and  
sat up on his bed. He looked at the clock. 19:12.  
"Wow... what a dream..." he said, shaking his head. The banging  
sound continued. "Oh no... WAS it a dream?"  
"Hey, Daniel! Wake up! It's soon going to be time to go!" the  
familiarly cheerful voice of Sally called from outside. Daniel  
let out a sigh of relief as he went to the door, rubbing his eyes.  
He opened it. Sonic and Sally were both there, waiting.  
"Hey, come on, ya slo-mo! We don't got all day!" Sonic said,  
impatiently. "I can hardly stand just standing here!"  
"Sonic..." Sally said, "why don't you go back and make sure  
everything's going according to plan?"  
"Sure thing, Sal... but I don't know why I have to put up with  
waiting like this!" Sonic said, as he began to speed off.  
"Okay. Now, it's almost time to go, so you'd better get ready.  
I'm going to go back with Sonic now. You come when you're ready."  
Sally said.  
"Sure. I'll do that now, and be over there within a few minutes."  
Daniel said. He closed the door and went to his mirror. "Heh...  
I look better than I did back home... hmm... okay... I look fine.  
Let's go!"  
  
And so, Daniel departed for the center of Knothole, where he would  
face his fears. He noticed that it was set up exactly the same way  
as in his dream. He walked up closer. Sally came out to greet him.  
"Well, come on! Everyone's waiting!" Sally said, taking Daniel by  
the arm. She dragged him up to the stage. She went to the podium.  
"Hello, everyone, and good evening. As you may very well know, we have  
a visitor here in Knothole, and this visitor wishes to help us. So,  
tonight, we will initiate him as a member of the freedom fighters!  
Now, without further ado, I give you, Daniel Winters!" She announced  
as she motioned for Daniel to come over to the podium. The small crowd  
applauded.  
"Okay, then. I don't have a speech or anything, so I'll just say  
thanks to you guys for giving me hospitality, and I hope things will  
work out in the future. Thank you..." he said, stepping back so Sally  
could get to the podium again. More applause came from the crowd.  
"Okay, now. Let's get this party going!" Sally shouted as everyone  
cheered. The crowd dispersed from the tight formation they were in,  
and began to socialize and have fun. Soon, refreshments were set up,  
then snacks. The party was now in full motion. Daniel wasn't doing much,  
except stand around, sipping some fruit punch.  
"This isn't so bad.." he said to himself.  
"Hey, Daniel!" Sally called to him from a few meters away. "Over  
here!" Daniel, fairly confused, decided to finish the punch he was  
drinking and go over to join her.  
"Hello.." he said.  
"I thought that you were going to socialize some more." Sally said.  
"Well... I don't normally fit in too well..." Daniel said.  
"Oh well... At any rate, these are some friends of mine." She  
started, motioning to the group. "You already know Sonic and Bunnie...  
and this here is Rotor," she said, motioning to Rotor.  
"Hi!" Rotor said.  
"Hello" Daniel replied, calmed by the friendliness of Rotor's voice.  
"This is Tails," she said motioning to Tails.  
"Hiya!" Tails said, excited that he could stay up so late.  
"Hello there.." Daniel said, looking down at the two-tailed kit.  
"And... this... is Antoine" she said, motioning to Antoine.  
"Eet is a pleaseure to be meeting you" Antoine said.  
"The same to you." Daniel said.  
"Now, I'll be right back. I need to go over here for a minute and  
make sure that everything's okay." Sally said. She went over to a table  
and hid behind it, watching them. She noticed that they already were  
engaged in conversation. "Good. He'll fit in fine." She said to herself,  
getting up and walking back towards them.  
"And then, I took the electrical cable and fried the SWAT-Bots!"  
Daniel exclaimed, telling Tails the story of what happened a few days  
ago.  
"COOL!" Tails shouted.  
"Yeah, well, I was the one who distracted the SWAT-Butts in the first  
place!" Sonic said, standing up for his pride and position as Tails'  
hero.  
"You all need to grow up!" Sally shouted at them with a smile. The  
party lasted for hours and hours, until finally everyone felt the  
strains of fatigue, and went home. Daniel laid down on his bed.  
"Well. I did it... Tonight, I made friends..." he said to himself.  
"I suppose tomorrow will bring the same old things again, though..."  
he said, starting to drift to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Daniel awoke to a knock at his door. He got up,  
rubbed his eyes, and went to the door. He reached out, turned the  
doorknob, and pulled the door open. Sally stood there at the door.  
"Yes?" Daniel asked, sleepily.  
"Time to wake up... I've got a mission planned and you're part of  
it, so shake a leg and meet me outside, okay?" Sally said.  
"Uh, sure. I'll get ready" he said with a yawn. He closed the door  
and went to wash his face. He splashed the cold water over his face.  
It soaked into his fur. "Doesn't run off like it used to..." he said  
with a chuckle "guess it's time for a shave!" He got fully dressed  
and walked outside. The air had a chill to it. He looked around,  
looking to find Sally. Nowhere. "Hmm... where did she go?" he said,  
starting to walk around, looking for her. She emerged from the  
mission planning hut and called him over.  
"Okay, now that we're all here..." she began. "We can discuss  
today's mission. Nicole, display the information I requested."  
"Displaying, Sally." Nicole droned as the holographic projector  
came to life.  
"Now, this is a map of Robotropolis, as some of you are already  
familiar with..." she said. "This mission is very delicate, and  
it is imparative that it be done right. This is a SWAT-Bot factory."  
She said, pointing to a building. "We need to destroy it. Now, the  
delicate part of this mission is that we CANNOT be detected, or else  
the factory will be locked down. If this happens, abort the mission  
and get back to Knothole. There isn't much room for error here." she  
said, finishing the briefing. "Does anyone want to back out?"  
"Oui..." Antoine said in a worried tone.  
"Antoine, do yah have tah be such a chicken? Yah don't see me  
complainin', and ah'm scared!" Bunnie said to Antoine.  
"Okay, so nobody wants to back out?" Sally asked again. No response.  
"Then it's settled. Let's go!" She said. They then started for  
Robotropolis. A few hours later, they came to where the Great Forest  
ends, and where Robotropolis starts. They made their way through  
Robotropolis and got to the SWAT-Bot factory.  
"What now, shugah?" Bunnie asked.  
"Bunnie, you and Daniel go inside from that way and open up a the  
security doors so that we can get through and place the charges.  
Sonic and I will wait, then go in and set the charges once you're out.  
Antoine will watch for SWAT-Bot patrols. Is everyone clear on what  
they have to do?" She said.  
"Yes!" everyone said, but Antoine, who was busy looking for places  
to hide.  
"Then let's go!" She said. Daniel and Bunnie went through the door.  
Beyond that was a corridor with a door at the end, security locked.  
Daniel went to the panel and started to type. After a couple of minutes,  
the door opened and they continued down the hallway. They came across  
more doors, none of which could either withstand Daniel's hacking or  
Bunnie's strength.  
"According to the map I saw earlier, we should be near the core. When  
we open that door, we can go through... surprising, though, that there  
were no-" he was cut off by an alarm. Bunnie gasped.  
"Oh, no! They spotted us!" Bunnie shouted in depair.  
"It was a trap!" Daniel said. He ran to a security panel to try and  
override the system, but to no avail. The room started to fill with  
sleep gas as the alarm rang. Daniel covered his face with his t-shirt  
as he frantically attempted to override the system. SWAT-Bots stormed  
the room and aimed their lasers at Daniel. He turned around. "Uh...  
heheh... this isn't good..." he said. One of them fired a stream of  
electricity at him. He was electrocuted with enough energy to render  
him unconscious. He crumpled to the floor next to Bunnie, whom had  
already succombed to the gas.  
  
A few hours later, Sonic, Sally and Antoine returned to Knothole.  
"Sal! We gotta go back to get them!" Sonic shouted in a fury.  
"Sonic, it won't do you any good to be captured and roboticized...  
You need a power ring." Sally said.  
"I will be staying here zis time, if eet is okay with you, mon  
princesse." Antoine said.  
"Fine, Antoine, stay here." Sally said.  
"I can't stand this! What if 'Buttnik decides to roboticize 'em  
right away!" Sonic said, deeply concerned.  
"A power ring!" Sally said, pointing at the ring pool.  
"Great! Get it and I'm outta here!" Sonic said as Sally handed him  
the ring. "Juicin' time!" he said as he sped off.  
  
"Hey... hey, shugah... wake up... are you alright?" Bunnie's voice  
echoed through the halls of the holding cell block. She tried to shake  
him back to consciousness but to no avail. "He's still breathin',  
and he's got a pulse... but whah cain't ah wake him up?" she said,  
sitting next to Daniel. She sighed as she lay down on the cement floor  
of the cell. She she looked over at Daniel. He stirred a little.  
"Hey, wake up!" she said to him, sitting up.  
"Unh... oah... my head..." he said, in pain. He sat up and tried to  
make sense of his surroundings and regain his senses. Bunnie put her  
hand on his shoulder.  
"Hey, sugar... you okay?" she asked him, concerned.  
"I feel like I've been hit by a train..." he said. "I don't think  
I'm hurt, though..."  
"Good. now, how the heck are we supposed to get out of here?"  
"I don't know..."  
"I doubt that either one of you will be escaping from here. There's  
no possible way you can escape." A deep voice called over a crackling  
loudspeaker.  
"Robotnik!" Bunnie shouted. Daniel was too disoriented to think.  
"Your powers of deduction never cease to amaze me." he said,  
sarcastically. "Soon, I shall finish what I started so long ago, and  
get rid of that big-mouthed fox friend of yours. This is going to be  
fun. Get a good night's sleep tonight... it shall be your last. I've  
ordered your roboticization for the morning. As for you, you pesky  
little wretch, I've fired up a roboticizer for you especially, and  
to pay for what you did to my computer, it's being prepared by the  
end of the hour. I hope you don't suffer too much.. HAHAHAHA!" Bunnie  
gasped.  
"You wouldn't!" Bunnie said. "He hasn't done anything ta deserve ta  
be roboticized!"  
"Oh, really? He is a freedom fighter. That is enough to convince me  
that he deserves it!" Robotnik snapped. Daniel was still trying  
to recover enough so that he could understand what was going on.  
"Ungh... disorientation is a bad thing... everything's spinning!"  
Daniel shook his head. "What just happened?" he asked.  
"Robotnik's gonna roboticize us!" Bunnie said in complete and  
utter despair.  
"Roboticize?"  
"Yeah, turn flesh into steel, stuff like that."  
"Oh, man... I don't want to find out what that's like..."  
  
"Almost there! Can't be too late!" Sonic said to himself, racing  
through the streets of Robotropolis. He ran into a building and ignored  
the guards. He went to the elevator and drilled through - no time  
for waiting. He climbed the cords until he got to the prison levels.  
"Okay, they've got to be on one of these floors!" he said, looking  
around. Then Sonic heard Bunnie's voice echo from further down the  
corridor. He couldn't make out anything, but it was her voice, he could  
tell. He ran down the corridor and spun through the guards at the cell,  
destroying them. "Yo, Bunnie!" Sonic said as he walked towards the  
bars. Bunnie got up.  
"He's gone..." she said.  
"Who's gone and where?"  
"Daniel... they took him away... ta be roboticized!"  
"Oh, man, not cool. I'm gonna shut off the lasers." Sonic said as  
he pressed some buttons, making the lasers fade to nothing.  
"Thanks, shugah-hog, but we need ta get ta Daniel, and quick!"  
"I know, Bunnie... hold on!" he said, as Bunnie threw her arms around  
Sonic's neck. They then sped down the side of the elevator shaft and  
down to the roboticizing deck. The lights were dimmer here, showing a  
large amount of power consumption, most likely caused by charging  
a roboticizer up.  
"Ya maght want ta hurry up there, shugah-hog... looks like somethin'  
big was just turned on!" Bunnie said  
"You don't have to tell me twice! Let's juice!" He said, taking off  
down the corridor at max speed.  
  
"You don't have any last requests?" Robotnik asked with a smile.  
"How about letting me go?" Daniel said, while being strapped to the  
roboticizer.  
"You know I can't do that. In a matter of thirty seconds, you will  
be completely under my control. Don't worry, though. I won't make you  
work TOO hard" Robotnik said, laughing.  
"ROBOTICIZER ENERGY INPUT: SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT AND RISING" a worker  
drone said.  
"Good... very good. Exactly how long until it's fully charged?"  
Robotnik asked, impatiently.  
"APPROXIMATELY TWENTY SECONDS."  
"I won't let you do that, Ro-buttnik!" Sonic's voice called.  
"Sonic! Talk about cutting it close!" Daniel said.  
"You take one step further, rodent, and I'll activate the roboticizer!"  
Robotnik shouted.  
"Yeah, right. Bunnie, pull the plug." Sonic said.  
"INITIALIZE!!!" Robotnik yelled.  
"ENERGY OUTPUT HAS NOT YET REACHED OPTIMAL LEVELS."  
"I DON'T CARE!!!! INITIALIZE!!!" Robotnik yelled. The drone pushed  
a button. Daniel flinched as a bright light surrounded him.  
"BUNNIE! PULL THE PLUG!!" Sonic shouted.  
"Got it, shugah!" Bunnie said, ripping the massive cord from its  
socket. The lights brightened.  
"GAH!!! GET THEM!" Robotnik yelled as four SWAT-Bots ran into the room.  
"Let's go to work, Bunnie!" Sonic said, spinning into two of them,  
as Bunnie kicked one away. Robotnik took this opportunity to flee from  
the freedom fighters. Bunnie then picked up the other SWAT-Bot with  
her metallic arm and threw it against a wall, smashing both the wall  
and the SWAT-Bot. They ran over to Daniel, who was unconscious. They  
then unstrapped him, picked him up and ran back to Knothole.  
  
"So? How is he?" Sonic asked.  
"He seems fine... he's just unconscious. Luckily, the Roboticizer  
didn't affect him... you guys got him out just in time." Sally reported.  
"Cool! So nothing happened to him?"  
"Not that Nicole or I can detect." Sally said.  
"Cool... so the whole thing was a trap..." Sonic said.  
"It would appear so... a trap that would've worked had you not shown  
up on time." Sally said as Bunnie walked in.  
"Hey, guys. How's he doin'?" Bunnie asked.  
"Fine. He's only unconscious; the roboticizer didn't do anything to  
him; you guys got there on time." Sally replied.  
"Good... ah was worried... that..." Bunnie started.  
"No. Nothing happened to him." Sally said.  
"Great... ah don't think he'd evah wanna go through what ah did..."  
Bunnie said, looking at her robotic arm.  
"Bunnie, when we get the de-roboticizer fully completed, you won't  
have to deal with it any more." Sally said.  
"Really?" Bunnie asked.  
"Really" Sally said. Daniel started to fully regain consciousness.  
"Ugh... what... happened?" He asked, waking up.  
"You were saved just in time from the roboticizer!" Sally said.  
"What? ... Oh, my head... I don't remember anything since we were  
gassed back at the SWAT-Bot factory..." Daniel said, holding his head.  
"Well, the main thing is, you're safe, and Bunnie's safe." Sally said.  
"Now, we're going to try again at another key point tomorrow, so get  
some rest so you can be ready for tomorrow."  
"Easier said than done... do you have any pain killers? My head is  
killing me..." Daniel said, in partial agony.  
"Bunnie... could you get the Acetaminophen from the medical cabinet?"  
"Sure. Which shelf?" Bunnie said, looking through the cabinet.  
"Second from the top"  
"Ah, here it is!" Bunnie said, reaching up and grabbing a bottle. She  
walked over to Daniel, opened the bottle and gave him some tablets.  
"Thank you." Daniel said, popping the tablets into his mouth.  
"Okay, let's get back to our huts and get some sleep." Sally said.  
"we're going to need it." She said, walking to the door. Bunnie and  
Sonic followed.  
  
The next morning, Daniel awoke to the sunrise. He got up and rubbed  
his forehead and his eyes. He walked to the window to see the sunset,  
almost tripping over himself because he wasn't much of a morning person.  
"Wow... that's a beautiful sight..." Daniel said, admiring the view.  
He proceeded to get cleaned up for the day and got dressed. Afterwards,  
for the first time since he got there, he went to the cupboards of his  
hut and brought out some food suitable for a breakfast. He poured what  
looked, felt, and tasted like oatmeal into a bowl and mixed some water  
into it. He took a spoon and sat at his table, and started to eat. He  
glanced at the clock. 05:42, Mobian Standard 24 hour Time. VERY early  
for him. He finished off the last of it and decided to go for a walk.  
He walked outside and then into the forest paths. He walked around for  
a while, until he came to a clearing. "Hmm... wow... such nice scenery  
here..." he said to himself as he continued into it. He noticed  
something - a sparkle; a shine of light as if something metal were  
present. He started towards it. As he got closer, he could make out  
the form of what the metal belonged to; it was Bunnie. "Hey, Bunnie..."  
he called from a short distance.  
"Huh? Oh, hi, Daniel... what're you doing out here so early?" she  
asked, semi-startled.  
"I guess it's just that I woke up at the time I did..." he said.  
"What is this place? The scenery is beautiful." He asked, looking  
around. The clearing was a green, grassy meadow, mountain ranges  
visible in the distance, the sun rising over them.  
"Well... this is just where ah come ta think, and relax... nobody  
else knows where it is... but ah guess you know now, huh?" Bunnie  
said.  
"Actually, no... I came here by accident... I just went for a walk,  
and ended up here."  
"Really? Well, if it's that easy ta find..." Bunnie started.  
"No... it was completely random... anyway, what's on your mind now?"  
"Well, nothin' you'd want ta bothah yourself with..." she said,  
looking away.  
"And why not?"  
"'Cause y'all'd think it's silly..."  
"No I wouldn't. Try me."  
"Well, if ya really wanna know..." she said, looking at her robotic  
arm.  
"Your robotic parts are what's upsetting you?"  
"Yeah..." she said "It's somethin' nobody wants to have done to 'em.  
Ah was worried that maybe... maybe you'd have suffered the same thing.  
Ah couldn't live with it if somebody else had to go through what ah  
went through. It just wouldn't be right..."  
"It's okay, Bunnie..."  
"No it's not! It's not okay!" Bunnie snapped. "These things aren't so  
bad, but the fact that ah can nevah get mah real arms back, and how  
much pain ah went through..." she said, a tear streaming down her cheek.  
"Bunnie, when all this is over, just like Sally said, we'll find a  
way to get you back to normal. In fact, I'll do my best to make sure  
that happens!" Daniel said. Bunnie looked at him.  
"You really sure that a deroboticizer would work?" Bunnie said.  
"Almost positive. I've seen how it works, as you remember. With a  
small change in programming, I'm sure it would work!" Bunnie's face  
lit up. She threw her arms around Daniel.  
"Oh, thank yah! You've gone and made mah day!" Bunnie said.  
"Uh... y-you're.. welcome." he stuttered, trying to analyze the  
situation.  
"Ya don't know how much what you just said means ta me." Bunnie said,  
pushing herself away. She checked her watch. 07:06. "Oh, mah stars!  
Sally's gonna be lookin' for us... Let's get back to Knothole." She  
said.  
  
"So... Daniel... what's it like where you come from?" Bunnie said  
as they walked along the path.  
"Nothing like this place..." he said, looking around and admiring  
the scenery. "The nature here is wonderful... I've never seen anything  
like it... Back home, we have cities, and rarely are able to see anything  
remotely like this... The people there aren't all nice, either... most  
just want money, some just want to help others, but money is pretty much  
everything back home... I suppose the air back home is thicker than the  
air here, mainly because it's filled with greenhouse gases, from our  
vehicles and factories..." he said as they walked down another path, with  
Knothole in sight.  
"Well... it was nice talkin' to ya... ah gotta get ready... see y'all in  
a few" she said as she headed towards her hut. Some light snow began to  
fall. Daniel walked over to his hut, went inside, and lay down on his bed.  
He stared up at the ceiling and thought for a while. He sighed. He looked  
at his hands.  
"So this is what I'm destined to look like for the rest of my life..."  
he said, staring at his hand. "I guess I've gotta learn to live with it,  
and learn how to take advantage of it, just like Bunnie and her roboticized  
parts..." He said. It was the first time he had ever thought of someone as  
a role-model type person for as long as he could remember. He clenched  
his fist. "Exactly! I can't be sitting here, whining about this for the  
rest of my life! I've got to learn to accept it for what it is, and take  
advantage of it!" he said as he sat up and slid off the bed. "It's a new  
challenge, and it's time to take it head-on!"  
  
"Okay, is everyone here?" Sally asked, looking around the table. She  
glanced around, and said "Okay, now... let's get down to business..."  
she started as she picked up Nicole. "What you're about to see is the  
location of several key points in Robotropolis." She said as Nicole  
displayed the map. "These points are heavily guarded facilities, used  
for top-secret military experiments run by Robotnik. Our mission is to  
infiltrate and destroy these facilities, after figuring out what  
Robotnik's up to. Any questions?" She said. Silence followed. "Okay, then.  
You'll be given more instructions when we get there. We'll meet outside  
in fifteen minutes. Be there." she said, ending the briefing. Everyone  
started to file out as Nicole's holographic projector shut off with a  
whine. Daniel was about to leave when Sally stopped him.  
"Yeah?" he said.  
"I want to show you something." Sally said, walking up to a wall.  
"What's so special about a wall?" He said as Sally pulled a panel aside.  
"These are the weapons we found on you when you were brought here. They  
may be useful here..." she said, handing him his pistol. "I don't quite  
know how these work, but I trust you'll be careful." she said as Daniel  
holstered his pistol inside his vest. She handed him some clips, which  
he put on his belt, then his assault rifle. He strung the strap across his  
shoulder.  
"Are you sure you want to give me these things? I mean, for all you know,  
I might shoot you guys while your backs are turned."  
"in the past few days, Daniel, I've grown to trust you... I just have  
a certain feeling of trust about you... I don't know why, but it's there.  
Now... we'll all need these," she said, handing him a pair of small  
binoculars. He put them in one of his large pockets on his vest. She  
took out three more and replaced the panel. "Now... I want you to be  
ABSOLUTELY SURE you keep those weapons away from the children..." she  
said. "If anything happened to them..."  
"Don't worry. I'll keep them locked in a safe place."  
"Good. Let's get going!" she said, as she went out the door. Daniel  
followed.  
  
Sally, Sonic, Bunnie and Daniel started on the trail for Robotropolis.  
Sonic looked a little uncomfortable as he walked along behind Daniel.  
"Sal" he whispered to Sally. "You really think he should have that  
stuff?"  
"I don't know, Sonic, but I just have a feeling we'll need it here."  
she said back to him. "Okay, everyone, we only need to hit one of the  
facilitiess today. The rest can be done some other time." She said out  
loud. Half an hour later, they came to the outskirts of the city, where  
the forest ends and a desolated wasteland stands, surrounding robotropolis  
like a moat around a castle. The group quickly crossed the desert, in  
fear of being detected by a scout drone. They ran into the city and took  
cover. "Okay, we'll wait to see if the coast is clear. Sonic, could you  
scout ahead?"  
"Sure thing, Sal... back in a flash!" Sonic said. With that, he sped off.  
Daniel took this opportunity to see how the binoculars worked, and what  
they could do. He flipped a switch on them, and looked through. The switch  
was obviously for infra-red sensory mode, because he could see heat  
patterns through walls and such. He put them away.  
"Interesting technology." he said, as a sonic boom could be heard from  
a distance. Sonic raced up to the three.  
"The place is crawling with SWAT-Butts! Must be some important stuff in  
there." Sonic said, looking back. "It's probably gonna be pretty hard to  
get in"  
"As would be expected. Sonic, you'll have to distract the guards outside  
so we can get in. Follow us after you've disabled them... be careful,  
Sonic." Sally said to him.  
"Let's do it to it!" Sonic said, holding out his fist as he and Sally  
did their handshake. "I'm outta here!" he shouted as he sped off again.  
The three remaining slower freedom fighters made their way to the facility  
slowly, and stealthily as Sonic distracted the guards. They finally got to  
the building, and waited in the shadows. They watched as Sonic made the  
SWAT-Bots fall for his decoy trick and run off. After the guards had begun  
to persue Sonic, the trio ran to the building.  
"Bunnie, the door." Sally said.  
"Got it..." Bunnie said as she forced the door open. They made their way  
inside, and took cover behind some machinery. "Okay, Sally-girl, where to  
now?" Sally looked around. SWAT-Bots were patrolling everywhere. Suddenly,  
they all started to head for the exit, most likely to persue Sonic.  
"That way!" She said, pointing to an unguarded door on the other side of  
the room. They got up and ran for it. Daniel readied his assault rifle as  
they ran. They were in a heavily guarded area now, and it would be needed.  
They burst through the door and looked around. Nothing. An empty supply  
room. "Come on! Let's get going!" Sally said, running out the door, the  
others following. She threw open a door next to the one they were just in.  
A stair well. "Hurry! Let's go, before they come back!" Sally said to them  
as they ascended the stairs. They got to the top floor and stopped.  
"What now?" Daniel asked.  
"We'll try the binoculars in IR sensor mode and see what's behind the  
door." Sally said, procuring a pair from her backpack. She looked through.  
"One, maybe two SWAT-Bots are in there" she whispered.  
"So, what do we do?"  
"This is where your weapons help" Sally said. "When I open the door, you  
open fire on the guards. Okay?"  
"Okay" he said, lifting his assault rifle to his shoulder and taking the  
safety off. Sally threw the door open and dove out of the way. Daniel  
acquired his targets, and squeezed the trigger. The gun came to life as  
the bullets ripped through the metal plating of the SWAT-Bot guards and  
completely destroying their circuitry. The guards only had time to turn  
around before falling to the floor. SWAT-Bots from another room had  
obviously heard the noise, as they burst through a door on the other side  
of the room. Daniel pulled the trigger again as the SWAT-Bots turned from  
state-of-the-art security drones to piles of metallic debris. He lowered  
the rifle and motioned the others to get up. He walked into the room, the  
others behind him. They heard a noise. Daniel tightened his grip on his  
rifle as the others tried to locate the noise. Then, Sonic crashed down  
from a ventillation shaft on the ceiling and hit the floor with a thud.  
"Whoa... what a ride..." he said, getting back onto his feet. "Huh? Oh,  
I'm just in time! Hey, guys..." he said. "Those SWAT-Butts are probably on  
the other side of Robotropolis looking for me by now."  
"Good job, Sonic. Now... let's find out what Robotnik's up to!" Sally  
said as she started towards the door the other SWAT-Bots came through. The  
others followed. In the next room, they found what looked like the biggest  
computer either of them had ever seen. Sally walked over to it. "hmm..."  
she said, looking at what was displayed on the screen. "Seems like I'll  
need that disk of yours again, Daniel." she said. Daniel reached into his  
pocket and produced his disk. He put it into the computer as Sally shut  
it down and then turned it back on again. They waited as the computer  
started. The disk started to be read by the computer. A message came up  
from the program on the disk stating that because of the encryption, the  
code will take a few minutes to crack. Sally pressed a key and the disk  
went furiously to work. A few minutes later, the disk stopped and displayed  
another message reading 'Decryption: Complete. Please remove the disk'.  
"That didn't come up before..." Daniel said. "Oh well, we're in, anyway"  
Sally typed away at the computer, until something caught her eye; VOID.PRJ.  
"What's this?" she said as she opened it. It showed the plans of an  
advanced version of the void, useable as a field weapon.  
"THAT is NOT cool" Sonic said.  
"You've got that right. Sonic, if Robotnik finishes this, he can use the  
void against us regardless of where we are! You DO know what the Void does,  
right?"  
"Of course, Naugus and the king are trapped in it. If 'Buttnik's able to  
pull this one off, we'll be toast!"  
"Sonic, why, all of a sudden, are you starting to sound intelligent?"  
Sally asked, looking at him with a smile.  
"I'm just reading, Sal... it's on the screen." Sonic said, pointing to  
the screen.  
"Well, now we know what he's up to. Let's set the charges." Sally said.  
They went back down the stair well and placed some charges along the walls.  
Then, they started towards the exit, going as fast as possible, in fear  
that the SWAT-Bots would return to their posts. They made it outside the  
building and ran down the streets of Robotropolis, looking for a place to  
hide that was minimum safe distance from the blast.  
"FREEDOM FIGHTERS. HALT. SURRENDER YOURSELVES BY ORDER OF ROBOTNIK." a  
robotic voice droned. The four stopped in their tracks and turned around  
to face the source of the voice. A SWAT-Bot. Daniel raised his weapon,  
and took the safety off.  
"LOWER YOUR WEAPON, FREEDOM FIGHTER, AND SURRENDER YOURSELF TO ROBOTNIK."  
"Yeah, right." Daniel said as he squeezed the trigger, unleashing a spray  
of bullets onto the robotic guard. The SWAT-Bot was riddled by gunfire, and  
fell to the ground.  
"Let's get the heck outta here, Sally-girl!" Bunnie said.  
"We have to detonate those charges first... let's get into that alley  
over there and detonate. Then we can go home." Sally replied, starting  
towards the alley, the others following her. She took off her backpack and  
picked up the detonator inside. She flipped up the safeguard and pressed  
the button. The sky lit up as the building exploded into a pile of burning  
rock and steel. "Okay... let's get out of here!" Sally yelled.  
  
The four made their way back to Knothole and grouped together in the  
mission planning hut.  
"Okay... Nicole has the information we found on that computer stored.  
The biggest thing I'm worrying about is; how close is it to being  
completed?" Sally said.  
"Maybe if we take out all the facilities soon, we can stop it" Daniel  
suggested.  
"Maybe. Okay, everyone, you can go now. We'll meet again tomorrow to  
plan another strike." Sally said. Everyone got up and left. Sally did not.  
She looked down, a tear forming in her eyes. "Daddy..." she said softly.  
  
"So... what's it like back where you come from?" Sonic asked as he and  
Daniel were walking away from the mission planning hut.  
"Nothing like this place..."  
  
  
  
--================================================================================================================== END: PART II - The Next Level. ================================================================================================================== 


	3. The Legacy of Winter; Part III: The Game...

---------------------------------------------------------  
=The Legacy of Winter=  
PART III: The Games Begin  
  
-By Anthony Young AKA "Anthonius"  
(ajyoung@roadrunner.nf.net)  
  
---------------------------------------------------------  
RATING: PG-13  
  
Okay,if I anyone out there likes my work by now, I'd like  
to say thanks for reading this and enjoying it, and I  
hope to continue to meet your expectations... if not  
(the most likely situation on my part), then I hope you  
enjoy the fic anyway. If you hate my work, then tell me,  
why are you reading this? Ah well. Expect this one to be  
pretty much the same as the last in quality and writing  
style, so... it'll be just as bad as the others, most  
likely.  
  
All copyrighted characters copyright of Sega and DiC  
respectively, and used without permission. Nobody really  
reads this part, so it's useless to put it here, but  
anyway... Let's get going, as a brand new day brings a  
brand new fic to write!  
---------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
"Dear journal, Likhrei 22nd, 3235  
  
Today, we have discovered the most horrific weapon  
which Robotnik could ever use on us. We don't know  
if, or when, it will be finished, or if it already is.  
What we do know, is that we have to try and stop it,  
no matter what. Daniel's weapons had become very useful  
today, in our raid of one of Robotnik's research  
facilities. I don't quite know what it is, but I have a  
certain feeling about him... a feeling of trust, as if  
I can feel his aura. His abilities have been a valuable  
asset to us all in the past week, and without him, I'm  
not sure if I would be alive to be writing this today.  
I am curious as to how, and why, he was sent to us,  
but one thing is for sure; he will be a good friend of  
ours for years to come. I just hope that I don't lose  
him to Robotnik... the next few days will be so hard,  
and the thought of losing even one freedom fighter is  
unbearable. Oh, daddy... why couldn't you be here to  
guide me through this? Where are you? I feel so  
alone..."  
  
-Excerpt from Princess Sally  
Alicia Acorn's journal, dated  
Likhrei 22nd, 3235  
  
  
Daniel woke up early the next morning, as if he were anxious  
about the events to come. He checked the clock. 04:02 hours.  
He groaned as he lay back down on his bed. The sun hadn't  
yet risen, and he lay awake in hid bed, too drowsy to get up.  
He stared at the ceiling with cloudy vision as his mind began  
to fully awaken. Once he regained the ability of conscious  
thought, he started to think for a while. He yawned as he opened  
his eyes to a comfortable level.  
"Hmm.... a... deroboticizer... would have the same..." he  
yawned. "The same properties as a normal one... so... if one  
were to build a deroboti-" another yawn. "Deroboticizer, one  
would have to have a roboticizer... and reverse the polarity of  
it." he said, slowly and tiredly. "I don't think... that... I  
can really think too well... this early." He said, rolling over  
restlessly. He stayed in that position for a while, before finally  
realizing that he couldn't get back to sleep.  
So, he got up, and decided to go to the ring pool, and maybe take  
a small dip to wake up completely. Either way, the air would do him  
good. He walked to the edge of the village, on the path to the ring  
pool. He noticed that there was some light snow on the ground. Sally  
was right, they didn't get much snow during the Winter... or should  
he say, Frei, to be in tune with the terms used here. He looked down  
to where the ring pool was. There was a slight chill in the air, and  
that, to him, was all the better. He needed a way to wake up, as  
sleep was now out of the question. He looked to the horizon. The sun  
was beginning to creep over the hills and the mountain ranges in the  
distance.  
The morning mist clouded it, and gave it a certain feeling of  
majesty. He went down the hill to the ring pool. The sun reflected  
off the slightly rippling water. Daniel was aware of the strange  
machine which was at the bottom of the small lake, and its purpose.  
He walked closer to the water, seeing his reflection in the water.  
He wondered how cold the water would be. It wasn't really cold out,  
as such, it was about 1 or 2 degrees Centigrade, just over freezing,  
but cold enough to keep the already-fallen snow frozen for a while.  
He proceeded to remove his boots. For the first time, he actually  
looked at his feet. They weren't quite paws, but more of a... form  
of humanoid-sized paw, a kind of mix between that of a Human and that  
of an animal. He slowly put his feet into the water. It wasn't  
very cold, but it was cold enough to send a chill down his spine. It was  
at that point that he heard a noise. He looked up, to see... Sally? He  
took a step forward, forgetting where he was completely, and, with a  
yelp of surprise, tripped over himself and fell into the water,  
face-first, causing a splash. Sally looked up to see Daniel trying to  
pull himself out of the water, but his clothes were wet, and heavy,  
especially his vest, and he couldn't pull himself up. She swam over to  
him and helped him up. Daniel got up to his feet, hunched over and  
coughing.  
"Are you okay?" Sally asked, holding his arm as if to keep him from  
falling.  
"Oh... I completely forgot about that rock... ouch..." he said, looking  
back at the rock he had tripped over, holding his throat, still coughing.  
He looked at her. "yes, I'm okay, I think... my clothes are soaked,  
though..."  
"What are you doing up so early?"  
"I couldn't sleep, so I came down here to get some air, and maybe take  
a dip to wake myself up... what about you?"  
"I'm just getting washed up... looks like you could use to do the  
same..." She said, remembering that he hadn't had access to anywhere he  
could get fully washed from.  
"Eheh, yeah, I guess so..." he said, embarassed. "But you still didn't  
answer my question... what are you doing up so early?"  
"Well... I'm worried about that new weapon that Robotnik's working on.  
I just can't stand the feeling of anyone being brought into the Void..."  
"What IS this 'Void', anyway?" Daniel asked, starting to wade back to  
shore to sit down.  
"It's a form of... vortex... and it can suck someone in, with no way  
to get out... if you attempt to get out, you will turn to crystal..."  
she explained, a tear forming. Daniel turned to face Sally. She let out  
a quiet sob as he started towards her.  
"What's wrong?" Daniel asked. Sally looked up.  
"Oh.. n-nothing. It's nothing." She stammered.  
"There must be something..." He started. Sally walked past him, tossing  
a bar of soap to him. He watched as she ran off. "What was that all about?"  
he asked himself. He shrugged, and figured he'd better get himself cleaned  
up for the day.  
  
"Okay..." Sally said, shakily, to the group. She cleared her throat.  
"okay... now, today, we are going to have to take out more facilities, and  
tomorrow, I expect to have gotten them all. There is an urgent matter  
regarding these facilities, and we absolutely must destroy them all. Sonic,  
Daniel, and I, will go as team one and destroy this facility, marked here."  
She said, pointing to a blip on the holographic map Nicole had produced.  
"Dulcy, Bunnie, and Antoine will go as team two to the other facility,  
marked here." she said, pointing to the second blip on Nicole's map. She  
looked back at the group. "Now, meet me outside in ten minutes for  
equipment distribution." She said, as the group got up, and left, single  
file. She stood there, leaning on the podium. Once the last person had  
left, she let her head drop to her hands. "Oh... why... Daddy, why can't  
you be here to guide me?" she said softly, letting out a sob. She got back  
up to a standing position and wiped her face from tears. She walked over  
to the panel on the wall, removed it, and took out the IR binoculars, and  
some charges. She replaced the panel. "I guess it doesn't matter. We need  
to do this now. This is the present..." She said, regaining her confidence.  
She put the equipment into a bag and headed out the door.  
  
Sally passed the explosives to the leader of team 2, Bunnie, who put them  
into her backpack. She then gave each person a pair of IR Binoculars, and  
started on her way, the others following her.  
"So, Sally-girl, what about the plan?" Bunnie asked.  
"There is no plan. You'll have to make it up as you go along. There's no  
time for anything like that to be done... We need to do this quickly"  
Sally replied as they walked along the path. Bunnie nodded and continued  
walking.  
After about an hour, they could smell the air, and feel its thickness,  
caused by the greenhouse gases. They were in the outskirts of Robotropolis  
now, the sky black. They ran for shelter.  
"Okay... Team 2, move out, Team 1, follow me!" Sally said as Bunnie and  
the rest of team 2 ran off into the streets, towards their objective.  
Sally ran in the opposite direction, the rest of team 1 following her.  
  
Sally walked ahead a bit, peering over the corner of the building they  
were behind. There was the facility! Guarded even more heavily this time  
than the other, though. She carefully moved safely out of view and walked  
back to the others.  
"Okay, Sonic, you distract the guards like you did before. Daniel,  
you set a charge on the door when everything's clear, then we go in, and  
set the explosives. Any questions?" Sally asked, concluding her statement.  
There was no answer from either of them. "Okay, then. Let's go!" She said.  
Sonic acknowledged this and sped out into the open, using his decoy trick  
on the SWAT-Bots. Once he lured them away, Sally and Daniel ran over to  
the building. Sally took cover while the charge was placed. Daniel set it  
to go off in five seconds. He started it and ran for cover. He dove to the  
ground beside Sally as the charge blew the door straight off its hinges.  
He got up, brushed himself off and followed Sally inside.  
"This place is bigger than the other-" he started.  
"Shh!" Sally said, taking Daniel's arm and pulling him into some shadows.  
"Look over there" she whispered. Daniel looked as he saw SWAT-Bots running  
to the door which had been blown. "Let's go... over here!" she whispered,  
pulling his arm as he got up and followed her over to one of the spots that  
was weak. "Set the explosive here... quickly" she urged him, glancing back  
at the SWAT-Bots investigating the door. Daniel removed his pack, and  
prodiced an explosive. He armed it and placed it. They looked back to  
where the SWAT-Bots were. They were gone; no trace of them left. Sally ran  
to the next point, with Daniel following behind her. He placed another  
charge and followed her to the next point. There was no resistance; they  
were alone. After placing another one, the lights dimmed and there was  
a loud cackling noise. A wall opened up to reveal a screen. Robotnik's  
face displayed on the screen.  
"Well, hello, princess, and the hotshot fox as well? Well, I hope you  
are both prepared to meet the king..." he said.  
"The... the king? Daddy?" Sally cried, in shock.  
"Why yes, princess. Your friends are already there with him. Soon you  
will be, too. You will all be one happy family again, and I will have  
Mobius as my own to rule and do as I see fit!" He shouted, pressing a  
button. Another screen appeared and showed Sonic, Bunnie, Antoine, and  
Dulcy being sucked into the Void. Sally looked shocked as she watched this.  
"Robotnik... how... how could you?" Sally stammered. She dropped to her  
knees and completely broke down crying, the mere thought of this making  
her feel heavy guilt. She was crushed.  
"Sally! They're fake images! Don't listen to him!" Daniel shouted. Sally  
gave no response. She was in a world of her own.  
"Now, for the fun part..." Robotnik said, pushing another button.  
All exits were enclosed by a solid titanium shutter. The center of the room  
started to rise. It burst open, revealing what looked like a giant ring  
with runes inscribed on it. "This.. is the Void. I hope you like it, for  
that's where you will be for a veeery long time..." he said, launching into  
a fit of laughing.  
"Oh, man... what am I going to do?... if that thing opens..." he started.  
he remembered a red switch on his rifle. "hey... the self-destruct switch  
on my rifle!" he said, taking his rifle from his back. He flipped the  
switch and it started to beep. He ran over and jammed it into the gears of  
the Void's opening mechanism and ran over to Sally. He picked her up and  
ran as far as he could, the beeping getting faster. The mechanisms of the  
Void began to smoke from overheating. He quickly put Sally down and  
shielded her with his body. He braced himself for the explosion.  
"WHAT?!?! Why won't it open??" Robotnik screamed through the screen,  
pressing the button many times. A few seconds later, the beeping turned  
to one continuous beep, and stopped. A slight whine is let out, and then  
the rifle, and the Void gate, were completely destroyed, the explosion  
sending debris and flaming peices of metal everywhere. Many small bits  
of hot steel, screws, among other things, pelted Daniel as the room lit  
up in flames. When the explosion finished, and nothing was left but a  
burning pile of rubble, Daniel painfully rolled himself off of Sally. She  
was unharmed; he successfully shielded her. He nudged her.  
"Hey... wake up already... we have to get out of here somehow!" Daniel  
shouted, surprised that his voice was so low in volume. Sally pushed  
herself up.  
"What... what happened?..." Sally asked, wiping her face from tears.  
"I think you collapsed when Robotnik showed you the fake footage...  
either that or the explosion temporarily-" he started  
"Explosion?!" Sally said, whipping her head around to see the burning  
mass in the center of the room.  
"I had to do it... it was a Void gate... or something like that." He  
said. Sally looked at him. He was bleeding in various places, but it would  
seem that his vest took a lot of the damage, judging from the poor  
condition it was in.  
"What happened to you?" Sally asked.  
"There's a more important question in my mind right now, and that's how  
do we get out of here?" he said. At that exact moment, he heard a pounding  
sound on one of the titanium shutters. He looked over at it. He then heard  
a high-pitched sound as the shutter began to move upwards. "Come on! Over  
here... the shutter's opening!" Daniel yelled as he pulled himself off the  
floor, and ran over to the shutter, Sally following. When he got close to  
the shutter, the supports on it snapped and it rolled uppwards, revealing  
Bunnie. The two ran outside and headed away from the building. Bunnie and  
the rest of her team followed, as Sonic came racing back.  
"What in the heck happened in thair?" Bunnie asked, looking at Daniel's  
wounds and watching the building flame.  
"I have no idea" Sally said.  
"It's a long story..." Daniel said, his voice rough.  
"Let's blow this place and get back home!" Sonic said, picking up the  
detonator. He pressed the button, and the already-wounded building was  
completely destroyed. They headed back to Knothole, Sonic taking Daniel  
ahead, as he needed medical attention.  
  
Daniel awoke a short while later. He had blacked out from the sheer speed  
and G-forces inflicted on him, on top of his wounds, as he was being sped  
through the forest by Sonic. He opened his eyes to see Bunnie over at a  
counter, mixing some things together while humming a tune which Daniel was  
not familiar with, but that was to be expected, as he was from another  
planet. She dabbed a cloth into the mixture and turned to Daniel.  
"Ah hope ya don't mind if ah patch ya up a bit, so ta speak" she said,  
walking towards him. "It has ta be done, though, or else they'll get  
infected." She said. She took the cloth and dabbed it on one of his wounds.  
"Is this supposed to hurt?" Daniel asked, confused.  
"Why, no! This stuff don't hurt t'all! Mah special recipe, handed down  
from generation ta generation." She said, as she continued to dab at his  
wounds.  
"This stuff feels... good..." he said, surprised. The mixture had  
somewhat of a calming effect to it.  
"That's what it's supposed ta do! Ah still remember way back when, when  
ah'd fall down, and cut m'self, and mah mommy'd come out with this stuff,  
and ah'd feel better right away... after a few minutes, the cut would be  
completely gone!" She said, with a tear in her eye. She smiled at the  
memory, although painful to deal with, knowing that her parents were  
roboticized during the takeover of Robotnik. She smiled, though, because  
of the memory. She looked down and continued to dab at his wounds. Daniel  
looked down at what she was doing. She was obviously trained in medicine,  
as the tenderness and gentleness of her procedures easily rivalled that of  
the best doctors back on Earth. He relaxed as she continued treating his  
wounds.  
"Is this what you did for my arm back when I first got here?"  
"Sure is!"  
"That explains why it healed so quickly..." he said.  
"Oh, ah almost forgot... your clothes were pretty much ruined... Rotor's  
gonna look at the material an' all that, and try ta make ya some new stuff.  
Fer now, ya can just use one of them cloaks ovah there. It's gettin' chilly  
out now, and ya can't be runnin' around with nothin' warm on but yer fur."  
she said, as she walked over to the counter again to get a fresh cloth.  
"You seem to know a lot about medicine." Daniel said as Bunnie returned  
with a new cloth. She dabbed it into the mixture.  
"Yeah... mah mother was a doctor, and all ah wanted ta do in life was ta  
be like her, ta help people... and that's what ah studied; medicine."  
"I don't know what I'll do with my life... maybe that thought isn't a  
valid one any more - after all, there's nobody to work for, and no money to  
be had..." he said. At that moment, Sally opened the door and walked in.  
Bunnie looked back at the noise.  
"Oh, hiyah, Sally-girl!" Bunnie said, smiling at her. Sally didn't smile  
back. "What's wrong?"  
"Oh.. uh-n-nothing... I just have a headache. Do you have any pain  
relievers?" Sally asked.  
"Sure, they're up in that there cabinet," she said, pointing to a cabinet  
on the wall. Sally walked over to it and opened it. She removed a bottle  
and closed the cabinet.  
"Thanks, Bunnie. I think I'm going to lie down for a while" Sally said,  
walking out of the hut.  
"I guess the noise level of the explosion is still bothering her..."  
Daniel said. "Hey, how long have I been unconscious?" he asked.  
"Long enough fer us ta get all that stuff out of these here cuts." Bunnie  
said, going back to work at Daniel's wounds.  
"So, Sally's fine, other than that headache?" he asked, as Bunnie kept  
continued.  
"Yep. That was pretty brave of ya, ta shield her with yer own body."  
Bunnie said, "And pretty stupid, too... ya coulda got yerself killed!"  
"It was better me than her... I had protection... she didn't. Also, it's  
no good for us both to have been hurt, right?"  
"Ah guess so..." Bunnie said.  
  
Sally laid down on her bed, letting the effects of the pain killers seep  
in. She closed her eyes.  
"What if Robotnik already has that weapon made? What if that's what he  
used earlier today? And what if... what if Daniel had died..." she said.  
She constantly worried about everyone's safety. She couldn't bear to have  
any more of them lost to Robotnik, not even one. She had already seen  
enough of that. She slowly drifted to sleep as the medicine took effect,  
easing the pain of her nagging headache.  
  
"There! All done!" Bunnie said, putting the cloth onto the counter.  
"Good... but... I still feel weak..." Daniel said, trying to get up off  
of the bed.  
"Well, ah'm afraid ya cain't just replace blood in an instant... so yer  
gonna be weak for a while." Bunnie said, as she began to wash her hands.  
"I suppose..." He said, succeeding in sitting up.  
"No, no! Don't get up! Lay down, and rest... ya'll just make it take  
longer for yer strength ta come back." Bunnie said, walking over to him.  
"But..."  
"No buts. Lay down and rest!" Bunnie said, helping him back into a lying  
position. Daniel sighed. He hated this. He hated the feeling of  
helplessness; uselessness, that had swept over him. He was too weak even  
to stand; how can he help the team if he couldn't even stand? He just  
sighed again and closed his eyes. Maybe he could get some sleep.  
  
Sally awoke later that day. Her head not hurting much any more, but she  
had a feeling of grogginess; drowsiness, a certain feeling of 'blah'. She  
got up and walked over to the mirror. She was a mess. Obviously she hadn't  
slept well - though those pills sometimes have that effect on people. She  
went to where Nicole lay on her desk.  
"Nicole, start journal log recording, date Likhrei 23rd, 3235." Sally  
commanded to the tiny computer.  
"Journal log entry: started. Recording: now." Nicole droned.  
  
  
"Dear Journal, Likhrei 23rd, 3235  
  
Today, on a raid of one of Robotnik's research facilities,  
Daniel has saved my life. I had fainted from emotional  
trauma, and he had saved us both from a fate in the Void  
by destroying the gate using the self-destruct mode on  
his weapon. The blast would have killed me, but he did  
what nobody else I know of would have done: he shielded  
me with his own body. I hope he will be alright, as he  
has suffered many wounds not normally fatal, but enough  
in quantity to be quite serious. They are mostly small  
wounds, not big enough to require surgery or stitching.  
I have emerged unscathed, except for a headache, the  
effects of which I still bear as I am recording this.  
For now, I think that some rest for the rest of this day  
would be appropriate."  
  
-Excerpt from Princess  
Sally Alicia Acorn's Journal,  
dated Likhrei 23rd, 3235  
  
  
Daniel awoke to the drab sights of the medical hut. He looked around.  
Nobody was there. He sat up, realizing that his strength was returning to  
him. He rubbed his forehead.  
"Oh, man... that wasn't a nice nap at all..." he said. He slid off the  
bed and walked around for a little bit, testing the strength of his legs.  
"Good... seems like that stuff works wonders..." he said, looking down at  
what once was a cut-laden leg. There was little evidence now that there  
was even a cut on his leg at all, other than the slight scabbing and  
scarring. He walked to the door and opened it. It was raining hard. No  
wind... just rain. He obviously did not want to get wet, so he went to the  
closet and removed a cloak. He wrapped it around him and headed outside.  
The rain felt good in its own way. He decided that it would be best to go  
to his hut for a while until the rain cleared up. He walked in and quickly  
shut the door so the rain wouldn't pour in. He removed his cloak and slung  
it over a chair. He lay down on his bed. It was so much more comfortable  
than the medical hut's bed. He threw his arms back behind his head to  
support it. He thought for a while, listening to the monotonous beat of the  
heavy rain as it poured down on the village. Eventually, the noise began  
to become soothing, and Daniel soon found himself falling asleep.  
  
"Hey, Sal." Sonic said as he walked into Sally's hut.  
"Huh?" She said, startled. "Oh, hi, Sonic." Sally said.  
"Feelin' better?" he asked. It was a stupid question, actually, because  
it was plain as day that Sally looked like she had been dragged through  
the entire Great Forest and back.  
"Better than earlier, yes... better... no." She said.  
"Maybe you should take it easy for a while. Don't bother with those  
plans... they can wait. You need rest, Sal."  
"I guess you're right, Sonic..." she said, rubbing her forehead. She put  
down her pen and stood up. "You should get some rest, too. We still have to  
get those other research facilities to be sure that Robotnik doesn't finish  
that portable Void weapon."  
"Okay, Sal. You take it easy." He said, exiting her hut.  
"Sure..." She said softly to herself. She walked slowly over to her bed  
and sat down. "Oh, what a day..." She said. "I can't believe that my plans  
almost got Daniel killed... What if Bunnie, or Sonic... what if something  
happens to them, too?" She said, a tear forming. "Oh, daddy! Why did you  
have to leave me to decide these things? Why?!" She cried, tears streaming  
down her face. "I can't tell people to kill themselves for me! It's not  
right for me to decide... Why... Why?!"  
  
Daniel awoke the next day to the sound of an occasional drop of rain  
hitting the hut. He sat up and yawned. "Wow, that was refreshing... unlike  
the medical bed..." He slid off the bed and looked at the clock. 06:30.  
He looked over to where the cloak was, and in its place was a box, with a  
note. He picked up the note.  
  
"Dear Daniel,  
Hey, sugar, this is Bunnie. I'm just writing this  
so that you'd know that these are your clothes.  
Rotor repaired them for you. See you tomorrow!  
  
-Bunnie Rabbot"  
  
Daniel lowered the note from his face and eyed the box laid out on his  
table. He opened it, revealing his clothes. It was all in perfect condition.  
He put down the note and put on his clothes. They were perfect, just like  
before.  
"I'll have to thank Rotor later on..." He said.  
  
Bunnie sat on her bed, watching the sky clear up from behind her window.  
She sighed. This type of weather always seemed to put her in a depressing  
mood.  
"Ah wonder if Sally's gonna be okay..." She said. "Her headache was  
pretty bad, and Sonic says she's still got it..." she sighed. "Ah suppose  
she'll get over it." She then noticed some movement. She got up and went  
to her window to see Daniel walk out of his hut and head into the forest.  
"Maybe..." she said, watching him walk off down the path. "Maybe ah should  
tell Daniel 'bout this... he was pretty worried when she came into the  
medical hut." She said, starting towards her door. She opened it and  
stepped outside. She followed Daniel down the path, trying to catch up with  
him. "Hey Daniel!" She shouted. Daniel stopped and turned around.  
"Bunnie? What are you doing up at this hour? And... why are you following  
me?" Daniel asked. Bunnie looked away.  
"Well... ah guess we're both havin' trouble sleepin' lately... anyway,  
ah came after ya because ah thought ya might want ta know about Sally."  
"Yeah, I was wondering how she was. Is she okay? She seemed distressed  
when she came into the medical hut."  
"Well... Sonic says that she still got that headache, and she's real  
upset 'bout somethin'." Daniel looked down.  
"Well... thanks for updating me on it..." he said. Bunnie looked away.  
"Ah guess ya don't like what Ah just told ya, huh?"  
"Oh... it's okay... it's just... she... was the first person to actually  
trust me, and to befriend me..." he said. "And I don't want to believe that  
she's upset because of something I did..."  
"Ya don't know that she's upset 'cause of you"  
"That's true, I guess..."  
"Ah guess Ah'll let ya get back ta yer walk now..." Bunnie said, half  
sorry she had brought up the whole thing. She turned and walked away  
slowly.  
  
"Ah nevah shoulda told him that... now he's upset 'cause of me..." Bunnie  
said as she sat down on her bed. "If only Ah could take it back..." She  
said. She looked out the window to see the sun breaking through the clouds.  
It normally would have made her feel better, but she was in despair now.  
Just then, she heard a knock at her door. She went over to it, and opened  
it.  
"Hey, Bunnie..." Daniel said.  
"Oh... uh... hi." she said nervously. "Ah'm sorry if Ah ruined yer day  
or somethin'..."  
"No, no... it's got nothing to do with that..." He said. "I would have  
found out anyway. I came here to apologize for letting you run off... I  
shouldn't have done that, because now I've upset you, because you thought  
you upset me."  
"A-Ah..." She said, not knowing what to say. "Well... thank ya,  
anyway, but Ah cain't accept an apology from you for this..."  
"Sure you can. I'm only worried about Sally, that's all. Don't blame  
yourself for my concerns"  
"But... if Ah hadn't told ya..."  
"I would have found out anyway."  
"Okay then, if you say so... is that all ya wanted ta talk about?"  
"Yeah. I guess I'll be seeing you later then."  
"Okay then... Bye" She said as he turned and walked off. She closed the  
door. "Well... there goes one of mah problems..."  
  
"Heya, mister Daniel!" Tails shouted, running after Daniel, whom had  
started down the path to the forest again to have another walk. His head  
still hadn't cleared.  
"Uh..." Daniel said, turning around to face the two-tailed energetic kit.  
"Oh, hi." He said with a smile, looking down at Tails.  
"Do you wanna play with me? Sonic never has any time any more, and Aunt  
Sally is real upset 'bout somethin'!"  
"I know all about what's been going on lately, trust me. So, what's your  
name? You know mine, but I don't know yours." Daniel asked the young fox.  
"My name is Tails... well, my real name isn't Tails, but everybody calls  
me that 'cause I got two tails, see?" He said as he waved both of his tails  
so Daniel could see. Daniel crouched a bit to Tails' level.  
"Wow, that's pretty cool. My name's Daniel Winters... just call me  
Dan."  
"Cool! So Dan, wanna play with me?" Daniel thought for a minute. Maybe it  
could get his mind off of all this.  
"Sure, what do you want to do?"  
  
"Yo, Sal?" Sonic asked as he opened the door to Sally's hut. Sally was  
sat on the chair in front of her desk. She looked up.  
"Yeah, Sonic? What is it?" She asked, sounding a little more calm than  
she was before. Sonic walked over to her.  
"Feelin' better, Sal?"  
"A lot better... I've had time to recover. Things happen, and I have to  
remember that."  
"Great, Sal, glad to hear it. So what do we do for now? What next?"  
"Well, we still haven't gotten rid of all of those facilities yet..."  
"Whoa, Sal, back up for a second. Don't you think that after what happened  
yesterday that this whole thing might be a setup?"  
"Well, Sonic, we don't know that for sure..."  
"Hey, I've got it, Sal! Let's see what Uncle Chuck has to say about this!"  
"Okay, Sonic... but you should be careful..."  
"Hey, don't sweat it! I've been in and outta Unc's hideout lotsa times  
and I've never got caught yet!"  
"Just don't do anything stupid..."  
"Hey, do I look stupid to you, Sal?"  
"I won't answer that, Sonic"  
"Hey, come on, do I?"  
"Sonic, stop it" Sally said with a chuckle.  
"Shall I take that as a no? Good, so I'm outta here!" He said as he  
stormed out of Sally's hut, causing papers and loose objects to fly around.  
Sally shielded herself until the sudden burst of wind had passed.  
"I don't think I'll ever understand that Hedgehog..." She said, shaking  
her head.  
  
Sonic streaked through the streets of Robotropolis as he made his way to  
his uncle's hideout. Suddenly, a sound all too familiar to him rang out  
from the shadows.  
"HEDGEHOG. PRIORITY ONE. SURRENDER YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY."  
"Aww, man... Just what I needed right now." Sonic remarked as he turned  
to face the origin of the sound. He looked up to see a group of SWAT-Bots  
and a few hover units above. "Sorry, guys, but I'm in a hurry. Catch ya  
later!" With that, Sonic tore off down the streets, while the SWAT-Bots  
tried to chase him. They eventually returned to their posts, except the  
hover unit, which was able to keep up with Sonic. It started to fire.  
"Whoa! Watch it! You could hurt somebody with that thing!" he shouted as  
he dodged down one of the many alleys of Robotropolis. "Man, you guys need  
to get a brain! Just watch this!" he shouted as he used the sheer force of  
inertia to diffuse gravity long enough to run up and over the wall. The  
hover unit, piloted by a normal SWAT-Bot, pulled up and engaged reverse  
thrust. Too late. The hover unit smashed into the wall and exploded,  
destroying both the unit and the wall. Sonic skidded to a halt. "Hah! That  
was the best you could do?" he said as he sped off towards his uncle's  
residence.  
  
"So what you're telling me, Sonnie, is that Robotnik has some top secret  
devices in the works, but you guys suspect that it's a trap." Charles said,  
trying to get the facts straight.  
"Exactly, Unc!" Sonic said.  
"So what do you need me for?"  
"We're gonna need you to find out if it actually is something for real,  
or if it's just another trap!"  
"Right, so I'll check Robotnik's systems. You check back with me in a few  
hours."  
"Cool, Unc... I'll be back then!"  
"Be careful, Sonnie..." Charles said, as he watched his nephew leave. He  
turned to a terminal he had set up and walked over to it. He turned it on,  
and after it started up, he started to type.  
  
"So, Sonic, did you find Sir Charles?" Sally asked.  
"Yeah, he said to check back with him in a few hours..." Sonic replied,  
with his usual impatient look in his eyes.  
"Incoming transmission, Sally." Nicole reported as Sally picked Nicole  
up from her boot.  
"Display, Nicole." She said to the small computer. Some lights flashed.  
"Cannot comply, Sally. Message is audio only."  
"Then let's hear it, Nicole!" Sonic shouted at the computer.  
"Okay. Okay. My main hedgehog. Chill out. Playing..." Nicole said as  
Sally rolled her eyes. Some static was heard for a few seconds.  
"Listen, Sonic, and Sally. I've found something urgent. It seems that  
Robotnik is, in fact building that weapon and I now see why you were  
worried. I don't know what he intends to do, but I have a feeling that he  
will probably try and lure you in so he can use it..." heavy static  
interrupts Charles' voice. "Good luck to both of you." was the last  
understandable bit. The rest of the message was nothing but static.  
"End play, Nicole." Sally commanded to the computer as the speaker cut  
out. "Sonic... what should we do?"  
"You're asking ME?" He asked, surprised. "How would I know?"  
"Well... I say we should continue attacks on those buildings. Maybe we  
can stop Robotnik before he finishes it..."  
"It's your call, Sal... I'm gonna leave this one to you." He said, as he  
turned and exited Sally's hut. Sally sat there quietly, pondering whether  
she should risk it.  
"Either way, he'll use it on us... I guess the only way for us to have  
any chance is to meet it head-on!" Sally said to herself.  
  
Tails took the ball in his hand and threw it to Daniel, whom caught it.  
Daniel was all too familiar with this game. He tossed it back.  
"Yo! Daniel!" Sonic shouted from a distance. He sped over to where Daniel  
and Tails were playing and came to a halt.  
"Sonic? What's up?" Daniel asked hesitantly.  
"We need ya now... meet us back at the planning hut... this is mondo  
serious!"  
"Okay then..." Daniel said as Tails spoke.  
"Can I go too?" Tails asked with his most convincing tone.  
"Sorry, big guy. Not this time." Sonic said.  
"But, why not?" Tails asked, with a tone of sadness.  
"It's too dangerous... sorry, big guy, maybe some other time."  
"But...... okay..." Tails said as he walked away, ball and glove in hand.  
  
"Okay. Sonic, Bunnie, Daniel, Rotor, Dulcy, Antoine... I guess you're  
all wondering why you're here. Well, we have recieved urgent news. Robotnik  
actually IS building a weapon that I can only describe as a portable void  
generator. I don't know much about it from what I've seen, but if it can  
create an entrance to the Void from a small, SWAT-Bot mountable weapon,  
then we should consider stopping its production our top priority. Now, on  
to business. Bunnie... you, Sonic, and I will infiltrate and destroy this  
building, which we have found to be the only site with the remaining  
blueprints for the weapon left..." She said as a large manufacturing plant  
was highlighted on the map. "Meanwhile, Dulcy, Antoine, and Daniel will  
hit this power plant as a diversionary force. Once the diversion has been  
created, Sonic, Bunnie, and I will move in. Rotor will stand watch and  
keep in touch with Charles and ourselves, and, should anything go wrong,  
he will get back to Knothole and gather a second force. We can't afford  
to lose this battle. Are there any questions?"  
"Oui, where will ze SWAT-Bots be being when we go to ze power plant?"  
Antoine asked.  
"They will probably, and hopefully, be after you guys."  
"Sucr‚ blu!" Antoine said, flinching.  
"Can it, Ant. It's not worth cryin' ovah. If y'all don't do this, we're  
gonna all be sucked into that Void!" Bunnie said.  
"Sal, what if the diversion doesn't work?" Sonic asked.  
"That's the most intelligent question I've heard all day... Sonic, if the  
diversion doesn't work, then..." Sally said, as she was interrupted by  
Sonic.  
"We'll be in mondo trouble, right?"  
"Right. Now, we'll meet outside here at twenty three hundred and thirty  
hours. Be ready by then. We need to strike at Midnight, when the patrols  
are spread thinnest." Sally said, finishing the briefing. "That's in  
five hours." She said as they started to file out of the room.  
  
  
  
--================================================================================================================== END: PART III - The Games Begin. ================================================================================================================== 


End file.
